Confessions of a oenophile: reviews of highly rated wines, grocery store finds, and all other kinds.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

New Brew Thursday: Julian Black & Blue Cider

Julian Black & Blue Hard Cider

julianhardcider.biz

Julian, California

Happy Independence Day! Since nothing is more American than apple pie, I popped the top on some nice cider.

Review: Cider is a fantastical beer alternative, perfect for a hot day outside (or inside with the A/C blasting like I'm doing right now). This Black & Blue cider is from freshly pressed apples and infused with blackberries and blueberries. As a result, the color is decidedly purple, and oh so pretty. On the palate, the cider has nice lingering fruit flavors, with lots of apples and berry, just like the name says.

Ciders run the gamut of dry to sweet. I feel the same way about cider as I do Riesling -- sweet is fine, as long as there's enough acidity to prevent it from being cloying. That being said, nearly all of my favorite ciders (and Rieslings) are dry. The Black & Blue is certainly on the dry side of the spectrum, with crisp acidity.

One other thing to note: this is possibly the booziest cider I've ever had, coming in at 6.99%. It packs a punch! (haha)